


Memories From The End Of The World

by Pen_And_Dagger



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: I was half asleep when this idea happened, Kiibo's a real boy, Multi, We despair like real ultimates, Written on a Dare, i regret very little
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2018-01-29
Packaged: 2018-12-31 06:41:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 31
Words: 20,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12126744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pen_And_Dagger/pseuds/Pen_And_Dagger
Summary: Okay so once upon a time I was half asleep and came up with the question of what would happen if the cast of v3 was around during the Tragedy, with everyone having mixed fates. Thanks to the friend I sent it to *cough*Clara*cough* it kinda became a dare to make a fic out of it, and months later here I am finally following through with it.





	1. Musings of a Muse

What we got ourselves into was, in a word, unprecedented. We were just in high school for crying out loud! We were in no way prepared for something like the end of the world! To be completely honest, we’re still not that prepared, but we’re making it the only way we know how. As a class, we don’t really have a “solid” affiliation. I can say that I’m still keeping hope, but as for everyone else? I couldn’t tell you how hopeful they were, or even if they’re alive! I’m recording my thoughts to keep myself from losing sight of what was, and what could be again. 

We were brought together as the 79th class of Hope’s Peak Academy. Sounds awesome right? For a little while, it really was. I’m still so grateful for my time with the other Ultimates, because without that, who knows where I’d be? To be completely honest, I’m not sure where the world would be if things had gone differently. 

Back then I was called the Ultimate Pianist. I guess it’s safe to say I still am, but with the world as it is a piano isn’t much help is it? Then again, my traveling partner’s talent might still be of use these days. He was once called the Ultimate Detective, though he frequently doubted his skills. I’m pretty sure he still does. 

The sun was going down, so it was about time to stop for the night. There were some empty buildings with a securable entrance and exit. The first part to it was asking if Saihara wanted to stop. I didn’t want to stop if he didn’t feel comfortable.

“Hey, Saihara-kun?”

The detective lifted his head off my shoulder. “A-ah, yes Akamatsu-san?”

I couldn’t help but giggle. I could tell he was falling asleep. “We can stop for now if you’re tired.”

Saihara frowned. “If you want to stop, that’s okay… You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Alright.” I checked carefully for a “safe” space to rest. Finding one suitable for both of us, I gently put Saihara down and tucked him in with the one blanket we had. Oh yeah, why was I carrying him? A couple days ago we crossed some shaky ground and he twisted his ankle. I’ve been carrying him so he wouldn’t put pressure on it even if it wasn’t safe to stay in that place for too long.

Safe… Safety sounds nice… Lately if there aren’t those scary bear robots running around, there are those...it’s hard to call them people. There are the wild and aggressive ones that constantly run around destroying things, then there are those other people.

Their behavior isn’t as sporadic; they know what they’re doing and how they’re doing it. I have a feeling that they were also Hope’s Peak students, based on their “specialized” despair methods. Their defining feature seems to be red eyes that glow almost unnaturally. We’ve been lucky; we have yet to see any of them for ourselves. 

My thoughts once again drifted off to my classmates. I’ve been thinking about them a lot these days. I wonder if they’re okay. I haven’t seen any of them in a long time… From the information I have, we’ve already lost one or two right off the bat. I guess they were the lucky ones who died before the world got as bad as it is now… 

You’re wondering how it happened aren’t you?

I guess it’s time to tell the past from my perspective. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you the boring, unimportant details. Forgive me for jumping around, I want you to know things as they come to me.

Here goes nothing.

So, like I mentioned before, we were the 79th class of Hope’s Peak, and the current reality was in motion before we even arrived…


	2. Memories Of The First Day

The first day of school, the sun was shining. I was fortunate in a sense. I already knew a couple others who are going to be in my class. True, they went to different schools than me, but through a series of events I can only describe as a mix of fate and dumb luck, we came together. I think I’m early though, since even those early birds weren’t here yet. That, or I was late and everyone was already here. 

Either way, I picked up the pace and went to my homeroom. I admit, finding it was a little tougher than I would’ve liked, but I got there and took a moment to look at the students already present.

Huh? 

I couldn’t help but be a little disappointed. Only six? It’s the first day for crying out loud! I mean, the rules didn’t say we necessarily had to show up, but come on at least come the first day! 

A boy with long hair and a mask broke the silence. 

“It seems this is all who is going to come… Unfortunate…” 

I can't tell if it was the tone in his voice, his appearance, or a mix of both, but something about him gave me the creeps. 

I decided not to dwell on it and settle next to a shy looking boy whose eyes were hidden under the bill of his cap. I don't know how, but convincing him to come along to find our classmates was surprisingly simple. 

The first place we went was the school's tech shop. Specifically, the one used for the robotics club. If I knew him, he'd be here if not in class. I knocked on the door. “Kiibo? You in there?”

There was a clattering of falling...something...before the door finally opened. The boy who appeared had almost white hair, spiky on its own even without his large angular ahoge. He looked up to make eye contact, almost electric blue eyes calming once he finally pieced together who he was looking at. 

“Akamatsu-san? What’s going on?”

I smile faintly. “Kiibo-kun, you’re late for class.”

He looked startled. “W-what?! That’s today?! Okay, coming!”

We made our way back to the class, but I got the distinct feeling someone else was following us. When we got to the room I found out who it was. A steampunk-esque girl in pink pushed through into the room. 

Kiibo seemed to be familiar with her based on his reaction. “Iruma-san? You were following us?”

The girl, Iruma-san, turned at the question and seemed upset by the assumption that she was following anyone. “The beautiful genius Miu Iruma follows no one! Especially not someone like pig tits over here!”

I frowned. “Pig tits?”

Kiibo frowned. “Iruma-san please don’t be so rude on the first day!”

To my surprise, that was enough to get Miu to recoil with what seemed like a whimper. “P-please don’t raise your voice like that..!”

I decided to leave this interaction in favor of trying to figure out who was already here. I already knew the boy who was on my “quest” was called Shuichi Saihara, the Ultimate Detective. Around the room was a small, glum looking boy with a dark color scheme, a quiet girl with long pigtails that seemed to have no interest in any of us, a very, very large boy with round glasses, that creepy character with the mask, and my friend Rantaro Amami.

I can’t say I’m sure why he’s here. I’ve never seen signs of any special talent, but maybe it’s something I missed. I chose to approach and see how he’s been. He looked up to me. “Oh, hi Akamatsu. What’s up?”

I couldn’t help but grin. “ Not much, excited to be here. I’m curious, what did you get accepted for?”

Amami chuckled softly. “Couldn’t say. The acceptance letter was barely legible cause it got stuck in the rain.” 

Not even he knows? I have to say that’s a little strange, but I won’t question it further. It wasn’t my place to decide whether or not it was okay to not know. 

I looked to the girl next because she was closer. I was perhaps a little off put by how long she refrained from responding, but finally she spoke. “...Maki Harukawa, Ultimate Child Caregiver.”

Something told me she didn’t want to talk anymore. I would move on, but our teacher finally arrived to take attendance of who was here. I learned that the small boy was the Ultimate Tennis Pro Ryoma Hoshi, the huge male was Gonta Gokuhara, the Ultimate Entomologist, and the masked boy was Korekiyo “please, call me Kiyo” Shinguuji, the Ultimate Anthropologist.

Just when we were about to get on with class, a girl with blue hair suddenly came in the door, looking out of breath. “I’m sorry I’m late! Tsumugi Shirogane, Ultimate Cosplayer!”

To me she looked a little plain to be a cosplayer, but she had pheromones radiating off her that seemed to point to her talent. 

Class passed without incident, but no one else showed up. What a shame, I would’ve liked to meet new people.

Maybe tomorrow.


	3. Ants In Your Pants

It took a week or two, but soon everyone was starting to come to class regularly. I was pretty pleased with this development. We were really coming together as a class, and it felt great. What wasn’t so “great” was when Gonta decided to share his knowledge of bugs with the rest of us. 

What was going to be a peaceful day turned into an uncomfortable squirming mess as bugs crawled and flew all over the room. It seems he wanted to show us how great bugs were or something, I’m not entirely sure what he was hoping to accomplish. Either way, I wasn’t all that happy with the bugs all over. I think there’s something crawling on me… 

I swatted yet another ant off my leg, waiting anxiously for Gonta to collect his bugs. I’m pretty sure everyone else was just as disgruntled based on their reactions. Kaito was rather… vocal about his distaste. 

“What’s with all the damn bugs?! Get these things outta here!”

Gonta seemed upset about how everyone was reacting to his bugs, if his expression was anything to go by. Angie on the other hand was drawing something, seeming pretty content. When she held up the picture, it was us with the bugs crawling around. What stood out seemed to be the butterfly resting peacefully on the bill of Saihara’s hat and the spider Kirumi was holding. 

To be honest, I didn’t know she liked spiders. Although last I heard entomologists don’t usually study spiders, so I think it was crawling around the room the during the other bug related confusion. I didn't really mind it, just as long as the spider stayed away from me.

It was unusual, but it seemed like some people missed class randomly, which I guess was to be expected, but when they came back, they wouldn’t mention why they left or where they went. I don’t have a reason to worry yet, but it’s a little concerning all the same. I wish we could stay as one unit for a while without all these random disappearances.

I didn’t really dwell on wondering, because at the time it never seemed super important. To an extent, a lot of those unexplained absences weren’t important. Sometimes people just had places to be that they didn’t feel the obligation to share.

Going back to the current situation, everyone was present today, which was nice no matter how often people broke out into disagreements that got a bit loud sometimes. Or in Tenko’s case, how many of the boys get thrown across the room. I must admit lately she’s been getting better about it, but it still happens. 

On the bright side, by the end of the day Gonta had gathered up all his bug friends and brought them back to where they came from.

With his love of bugs, I’m just glad no one decided to squish any of them. I'd hate to see how he'd react to that. 


	4. Tea and Turmoil

Something was starting to bug me. It was a subtle itch at first, but I guess I can say it grew to more of a nagging sense of foreboding. 

It started on a normal day, or as normal as a day could get with the entire Reserve Course rioting right outside the gates.

It was marked by Tsumugi not coming to class two days in a row. Sometimes she’d miss class for a convention or something, but never randomly in the middle of the week like this. Today Kiibo wasn’t here either, but he was complaining yesterday about not feeling well so I’m not too worried. I mean of course I hope he feels better, but his safety seemed to be secure for the time being. 

As a class we went out to make sure she was alright, but eventually we were driven back inside by a sudden downpour. I guess it could be considered good luck that I managed to get most of the others’ numbers before now. 

I quickly sent Tsumugi a text to make sure she was okay. We stood by the windows to keep watch over everything going on outside. I couldn’t help but notice some other students milling about with umbrellas, but I couldn’t figure out why for the life of me. It seemed important, whatever it was. 

My thoughts were interrupted by a soft ding from my phone. It probably wasn’t much of an exaggeration to say that I checked it in record time. I sighed softly in relief. It seemed that Tsumugi was backed up on requests and would be in school tomorrow. That sounds pretty good to me. 

I put my phone back in my backpack to return my focus to the rest of the class. I didn’t want to miss out on anything that they decided to do. To my pleasant surprise, it was Kirumi who came up with something to cheer us all up for now. 

Minutes later she returned with tea, Tenko helping set it up. 

We moved the desks out of the way and sat on the floor. We sat in a circle in no particular order, though Ouma seemed to be insistent on sitting next to “his beloved Amami-chan”. It was nice that they were getting along, but even I had to admit it was a little strange to address him like that.

True to her name, Tenko’s cup had a chabashira floating in it. We looked at the stem in wonder before slowly sipping our tea. I was pleasantly surprised; it was really good! To a degree tea isn’t quite my thing, but I was happy to share the time with my class. 

Class was dismissed early today. Our teacher wanted us to get home safely and get a good night’s sleep for tomorrow’s nature walk behind the school. There were some nice trees and a river there to enjoy last I heard!

Unfortunately for us, enjoying nature wasn’t on the agenda for tomorrow.


	5. Fire and Fury, Separation and Doubt

We went right to the woods behind the school in the morning. What I first noticed was not everyone was here. I was sure that everyone knew that we were meeting back here… Then again, it was easy to assume that there were people that forgot about the plan and went to class first.

Kiibo texted asking where we all were so I think he's on his way. I wasn’t expecting him to know where we went since he wasn’t there when the plans were made. I was hoping he’d get here soon; the fresh air would be good for him. 

Tsumugi sent a confused text not long after from presumably the classroom. The weird part about her message was the fact that she was asking if we were the ones making all that noise in the hall. That caught my attention more than anything else. 

Noise? Usually it was pretty quiet in the halls, even for a place as interesting and diverse as Hope’s Peak’s Main Course. I turned to look back at the building too see if it was shaking again. It seemed to be doing that pretty often. Somehow it was always pinned to someone a couple years ahead of us having to use the bathroom? I never understood that, but I don’t really want to deal with questioning it. 

What I saw was alarming to say the very least. There was smoke rising from the building and some of the windows were lit with what I could only assume was fire. Was Tsumugi in there right now?! Wait, and Kiibo too! I looked to see if anyone else was missing. Miu was nowhere to be found, and for some reason Kiyo was heading back towards the school. 

“Kiyo? Where are you going?”

Either he didn’t hear me, or he was choosing to ignore my question. My bets are on the latter. I’ll figure it out at some point. Maybe. Tenko looked distressed.

“I don’t think that it’s a good idea to stay so close to the school..!” She retreated deeper into the woods, bringing Himiko along with her as if to make sure she was safe under her protection. 

Angie was moving towards the school too, Kirumi trailing along behind. What were they planning to do? I sighed and decided to go along, see what’s going on for myself. Saihara followed me, but didn’t explain why. I guess he trusted me to keep him safe, or he wanted to try to keep me safe. 

Whatever was going on at the school seemed to be drawing to a gruesome close by the time we got there. Even still, what I saw would forever be burned into my mind. Reserve course students were jumping out of the windows like it was nothing! There were at least a few hundred bodies scattered around on the ground, and more kept joining the ones already there. 

I looked to my companions. Angie was clasping her hands together, looking like she was praying for something. I couldn’t tell what, and I guess I was too shocked with all the gore to bring myself to ask.

Kirumi looked calm, but a little paler than usual, so I could guess she was trying to keep her reactions under control as she usually does. Saihara on the other hand looked positively blue in horror, practically frozen in place. 

Just a quick glance through the closest window told me everything I needed to know about what happened inside. These Reserve Course students finally got inside, and once they did, they ran around killing whoever they could find. 

My mind immediately went to Tsumugi, Kiibo, and Miu. Did they get caught up in all this? Tsumugi was definitely in the hall while this was happening, so most likely she did, but I couldn’t place Kiibo or Miu anywhere. I could only guess they were here too.

My heart started hurting when I reached that conclusion. I wanted to go inside and make sure for myself, but I just...couldn’t. What I did instead I guess could be called a coward’s move. 

I grabbed onto Saihara’s hand and we ran away.


	6. Aiki-Don't Let Go

Once again we seemed to be right in the path of danger. It was a little too late to hide, so I stood in front of Himiko protectively. I could see them plainly in front of me, that one eyed degenerate and the girl with the sword. I wouldn’t fight with the girl if she wasn’t so intent on hurting us, and if she didn’t bend so easily to the will of that male. I took a second to look back at Himiko. She didn’t appear afraid, but she looked tired. She definitely didn’t have enough MP to handle this!

Therefore, as an honorable aikido master, I will do everything I can to protect her! I could see their eyes glowing menacingly clearer than anything else, and then that silver haired girl raised her sword. She meant business as usual, but then again, so do I. 

I knew that once again I had to fight her to protect Himiko. I glanced over the other cuts that would likely scar over at some point, deciding that they were healed enough at the moment to get away with the physical activity required to use my Neo-Aikido. I moved into a fighting stance, ready to take her on for who knows what time. 

As usual she advanced like a rocket with her sword already swinging, and to this I responded with a simple throwing technique. I need to save my energy if I want to last a long time this round. 

I admit, we’ve challenged each other many times by now, but it was for the greater good. I had Himiko to protect, and she had that degenerate she followed around. What was their deal anyway? Were they dating or something? I quickly decided I didn’t care and moved on to the pressing matter of fighting her off again.

By “fighting her off” I really mean holding out long enough to bore her so Himiko and I can make our escape to another part of the area. I have no intention of killing anyone. A true aikido master would never do something so dishonorable!

I can’t keep the time very well lately, but I think this fight lasted about 20 minutes before I found an opening to get Himiko and I to somewhere safer. It felt like 20 minutes to me anyway. It could’ve been shorter or longer, I really don’t know. It didn’t matter that much to me anyway. She was a formidable opponent, I'll give her that. Even if she poses a threat to mine and Himiko's safety, I have to give credit where it's due. 

I took a look at the new cuts from fighting, suppressing a soft hiss at the sting. They could’ve been worse, but they also could’ve been better. I guess I could say it’s worth it to keep Himiko out of harm’s way. I could look for some bandages when we get to a less wrecked town. There had to be one somewhere around this area, right? A map would work wonders right about now, just for the sake of knowing where we are and how to get somewhere better. If only maps could show the condition of the towns it marks too... That would be amazing! I'm getting a bit off track aren't I? 

It's time for the big question isn't it?

How did we get here from our comfortable life at Hope’s Peak? Time for my side of the story. It won’t drag on forever, I promise!


	7. Crouching Tenko, Hidden Dragon

I didn’t go to school the first day. I mean, I did, but I didn’t go to class. I had to keep up my training and keep my aikido power strong. Besides, there were so many boys in the class. I didn’t feel the need to associate myself with all those degenerates. They were definitely troublemakers anyway, so it’s no big loss to refrain from socializing with them.

A bit of exploring led to the discovery that this school had a pretty nice dojo to use. When I entered, it seemed someone else was already using it. The person in question was absolutely gigantic! She towered over me in terms of height, and her muscle mass was definitely much bigger than mine. She was apparently called the Ultimate Martial Artist, and she was in the class ahead of me. I decided to prove myself as a capable aikido master and offered to spar with her. 

What came next was absolutely incredible. She used so many techniques from different schools of martial arts, some of which I couldn’t even identify! I could detect some aikido techniques in the mix, which was a pleasant surprise. Why was I surprised? She was the Ultimate Martial Artist, of course she'd know aikido! No matter what, I would my Neo-Aikido to the best of my ability! There’s no way she could be prepared to go against that! With this in mind I got ready to use every technique I knew and created, determined to win. 

She could be, and she was. How? I don’t understand how one person could be so skilled in so many martial arts that even my Neo-Aikido wasn’t enough! It was over before I knew it, and I bowed respectfully. I was defeated fair and square. I did, however, agree to train with her every so often. We were both honorable martial artists, so there was a degree of respect between us. 

One of these days I’ll be sure to win! I’ll train harder than before! My goals are set, and I’m ready to go! Maybe another time I’ll attend class, but right now this is where my focus is. 

For a couple days my routine continued like this. Occasionally someone else would appear, but she usually left when we got started training. She was clearly the quiet type, but she was always carrying around a bamboo sword. I wonder what her talent was. Kendo? Swordsmanship in general? Unfortunately she never seemed interested in disclosing even that much. Maybe she'll open up another time. 

Something started to pull at my curiosity. I kept seeing a red haired girl with a witch’s hat, and she looked interesting. A little “detective work” later I found out she was in my class, and that she was called the Ultimate Magician. A magician? Amazing! I'd love to see some of her magic sometime. First thing's first, I had to befriend her. There! Goal number two! It'll get done, or my name isn't Tenko Chabashira!

I think I’ll go to class tomorrow. That's as good a way to start as any.

Yeah, that’s exactly what I’ll do!


	8. Meeting Magic

The next day I went to class as I planned. There were already people there, but the one who interested me most didn’t seem to be here yet. No matter, I’ll wait! She probably had important magician business to attend to before class! 

I’m not sure how long I was sitting there, I wasn’t paying attention to the time. However much time passed before she finally appeared. She was smaller than me, but it wasn’t by too much. She had a tired look in her eye. Did she not get enough sleep? Maybe she could use some tea to re-energize! I could make some later no problem! 

She sat in the seat next to mine, and I could feel my body buzzing with excitement. Out of all the seats in the room, she chose to sit next to me! I need to make a good impression if I want to become her friend!

“Hi! I’m Tenko Chabashira!”

She turned to look at me, and I couldn’t place the look on her face. I hope it wasn’t an upset look… Talk about a one way ticket to a bad impression. 

“Nyaaa, you’re loud… But I’ll answer… I am Himiko Yumeno, the Ultimate Mage…”

A mage? That’s even more exciting than a simple magician! I should have known she’d be that talented! How foolish of me to believe she was just a magician! I’ll do my best to make up for such a poor train of judgement! 

Wait, she said I was loud. Oops, did I put too much energy into my voice? I didn’t mean to shout so loud! I hope she’ll be able to forgive that and give me a second chance to prove myself a good candidate for friendship!

The rest of the day was spent trying to have a meaningful conversation with Himiko. I thought I was failing until she brought up her master. We managed to find something in common! Of course, I had to concede that hers was the better master, for who else would be able to train such a talented mage? 

I had a feeling I was doing alright in terms of becoming friends with Himiko, but for sure I would work to do even better!

Maybe one day I’ll become someone important to her too.


	9. Raindrops on Tea Leaves

It was raining when we stopped looking for Tsumugi. I wasn’t super close to her, but I could respect her. I’m not sure where she was, and it was fair to say no one else did either. We wouldn’t be searching for her if we knew. I was a bit disappointed that it was rain that drove us back inside, even though we were still willing to go outside with the rioting Reserve Course. 

I guess I could say we had enough capable fighters that if the Reserve Course had caused any trouble we’d be perfectly able to handle it. Also, there was Kiibo running off too. I didn’t really believe that he wasn’t feeling well, but I didn’t have any proof to challenge it. 

I stood by the window with the others, just keeping an eye out. I was looking to see if Tsumugi would appear, I couldn’t tell you what everyone else was watching. I’m sure someone was watching the rioters, but I couldn’t say who. 

I noticed some of our upperclassmen wandering around in the rain. What were they doing out there? They appeared to be looking for something too, but what? No matter how much i tried to theorize, I couldn’t figure out what they could be doing. 

Kirumi offered to make tea for everyone so we could settle down. I couldn’t handle the depressing atmosphere, so I quickly offered to help. We went to the kitchen and whipped up some green tea, enough for everyone present in class. I carried about half back, which was the most Kirumi would let me help. She was pretty insistent on carrying as much as possible. 

When we returned to the class, we set the tea in a circle and everyone started moving desks to make space to sit on the floor. I’m not sure if there was rhyme or reason to how we sat, but that’s okay. 

When it was time to drink, I looked into my cup. Oh! There’s a chabashira floating in it! The others leaned over to look at the upright stem before we finally sipped our tea. I saw the tension in most of their shoulders disappear as minutes passed. Mission accomplished.

The tea was all gone within half an hour give or take, and everyone was in their own state of being at ease. Kirumi wouldn’t let me help clean up the empty cups at all. She really works herself way too hard. At the same time, she seems to enjoy having a lot to do, so I wouldn’t protest. 

Thinking about the chabashira, I was excited to see what good luck would come out of the omen.

The next day rolled around, and I wondered if I was lucky at all.


	10. Burned To A Crisp

We were supposed to go on some kind of nature walk that day. At least, that’s how Akamatsu-san put it. I’d call it more of a hike, but that’s just me. Anyway, I decided to wake up bright and early to make sure I was totally ready for the day. I was undeniably happy. I’d finally been able to befriend Himiko, and she even showed me how she summons doves out of her hat!

When I went out, I went first to pick up Himiko. We wanted to go to the woods together so we wouldn’t get lost. She looked as tired as ever, but I came to realize over time that she was always a little drowsy. I waved when she appeared and together we headed towards the woods behind the school. 

We arrived and saw that we weren’t the first ones there. That creepy anthropologist was already there, and Angie appeared with Kirumi at about the same time as us. Last we saw Akamatsu-san and Saihara-san appeared. For a minute I wondered how long it would take for everyone else to come. 

At the same time, I had a feeling we should have set a solid meeting place. Maybe everyone else had gone to some other point waiting for the rest of us. I almost proposed this, but I noticed Kaede was looking at her phone in confusion. I wondered what she was looking at, but decided not to ask. What if it was personal?

However, when she turned around to look at the school, curiosity got the better of me and I looked too. Oh… Oh dear… Why was the school smoking? Why did it look like it was on fire? Wait, did that classroom just EXPLODE? No matter what anyone says about "freak accidents", I knew very well that something was happening there, and that whatever it was was really bad. Not even the shaking from the legendary destructive shits of one of the older degenerates caused this much damage to the building!

Then there were little forms falling from the windows. I couldn't say exactly what they were, but I had a feeling that they were people trying to escape the fire for a more "painless" demise. I couldn't say I blamed them. Being burned alive sounds painful!

My instincts kicked in and told me to get away from the area, and fast.

I quickly took Himiko’s hand. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to stay so close to the school..!” I declared, even as people started heading towards it to see what exactly was going on. I turned to the woods and started running, trying to keep a pace Himiko could handle as soon as I heard a request to slow down a little.

In hindsight maybe I should’ve gone to see if my classmates were all okay, but in that moment surviving was the only thing on my mind.


	11. Humanity is Explosively Beautiful

Humanity was at its most violent, its most unrestricted, and it was beautiful.

I confess, even at its tamest, humans were still beautiful creatures with limitless potential. Now, however, I got the honor of seeing what humans would do when not a soul could tell them what was right and wrong. This was the epitome of ambiguous morality and uncertainty. The great clash between the pre-established order and a new chaotic state. 

As an unbiased researcher, I intend to take no sides. I merely wish to see what becomes of the situation, and which human mindset would emerge victorious. Despair, the chaotic revolutionary that turned the world on its head, or hope, the sentinel defending what used to be?

Speaking of sentinel, I have a distinct feeling that my admittedly vulgar companion is testing her latest creation out on some despairing folk that came too close. I rose to my feet and approached the source of the loud noises. Oh? It would appear that she got into a robot fight. 

It wasn’t hard to figure out which robot was hers. It was fairly large and made in the form of a rabbit. I don’t quite understand why she must make it in the form of something related to her name, but at the same time, it makes the machine simpler to identify. The name she called it eludes me, therefore I will call it “Hopbot” until I remember. I will not comment on the childish nature of the temporary name.

Something about the other robot caught my attention. It was one of those “Monokuma” machines, but it was different than the other ones we’ve seen thus far. I don’t claim to be an expert on these matters, but this one seemed to be more advanced than the average. In my journal I took notes on its movements and behavior. 

The agreement that was reached between us was that I would be primarily the one observing and planning, while she would be the one making machines to defend us. It worked out well. My talent wasn’t particularly suited to protecting us from individuals that moved with little reason, while hers could. Her talent wasn’t the most equipped to strategize new forms of defense, while mine was. 

What I found to be most striking was a familiar marking on the Monokuma machine. I sketched it out to review later, for I couldn’t place its origin at the exact moment. Maybe Iruma-san would understand it quicker than I. If it was related to machines, she was the one to ask. 

Something else happened, faster than I could predict, though I managed to get a couple notes down about it. There were new openings in the Monokuma machine’s back, spitting out wild explosives that flew all over the place. They landed sporadically, exploding seconds after making contact. 

I was relieved to a degree to see Miu jump inside her "Hopbot", almost failing to notice the explosive by my feet. Almost. I moved quickly just as it detonated, though unfortunately I didn’t quite move fast enough. It would be safe to say that I discovered the ability to fly, at least for a moment. I could think of a certain astronaut that would definitely be jealous by the discovery.

I think it was the sudden darkness taking over my vision, but I have good reason to believe I lost consciousness. What a shame. At least for now I seem to be alive, so there is a bright side to this. Nee-san wouldn't be happy if I died in such an unceremonious manner. Now all I can do is wait to wake up.

In the meantime, allow me to tell you my side of the story.


	12. Observations Of The First Beautiful Day

The first day of school I woke up rather early, even for me. I couldn’t help it to be honest. This was an opportunity few had the privilege to take. Watching society’s elite hone their skills and mature as people up close and personal, the thought on its own was irresistible. I certainly wouldn’t let it pass me by! What I did next was the same as any other day. I prepared a small breakfast and got dressed, straightening out my new uniform. Admittedly, I’d prefer to wear the uniform Nee-san made for me, but if I am to attend Hope’s Peak, I must adhere to the guidelines at least this much. On the bright side, I was permitted to wear my mask with it. 

The walk to the academy was moderately short, and the weather was pleasant to walk. There was a gentle breeze, and the sun was shining to a comfortable degree. I went up to the front gate and looked up at the building. It truly was a magnificent building, a clear show of just how prestigious it was to attend. I took a few notes in my journal for research purposes and closed the book.

I took mere moments to collect my thoughts before stepping inside. The hallways were immaculate. Someone took great care to ensure that the school was spotless for the talented youth that would walk through the school. I made my way to the classroom, calm and collected. I wasn’t nervous to meet my peers. No, I was excited. Hope’s Peak was known for bringing together all sorts of characters in one place. I was interested to observe the mixture of personalities that would come together behind these doors.

I took a seat near the back, watching the so far empty classroom. I suppose I was too enthusiastic, and I arrived a little too early. Minutes passed before more people started arriving. There was a large male who curiously didn’t wear shoes who sat near the back also. Perhaps he was considering that the other students would be shorter and need to see past him. 

Next inside was a girl with long pigtails and a rather neutral expression. She looked like she was already tired of everyone around, yet she only was in the room for a moment. It appeared she wasn’t the friendly type. To an extent I decided to keep it in mind to be careful should I interact with her. Something told me she was a person Nee-san wouldn’t like all that much.

Followed shortly after was an even less friendly looking person. He was, in a word, incredibly short. I would put him at about three and a half feet, give or take. Approximately half my size. He didn’t look at anyone or say anything, sitting off by the window. He looked like he didn’t want anyone interacting with him, at least not without good reason. I decided to keep him in mind; he might be an interesting person to observe from a distance. 

The next person I saw was a male around my size, adorned with multiple piercings and a carefree exterior. His aura on the other hand was something of a wonder. I could still feel the laid back attitude radiating from him, but under that there was something else. It was something mysterious, hard to place. I had a strong feeling that I would find amazing amounts of beauty trying to figure out what that mystery was.

A minute or two passed before another person entered. He was shorter than me, but not by a large amount. Just a few inches, if I had to guess. The most notable feature was his hat. The way it was positioned, it was difficult to see his eyes. I had a distinct feeling it was on purpose, so I was interested to figure out what the reason behind this behavior was. Not even half the class was present, and already my mind was whirring with interest. 

Finally a blonde girl appeared. She seemed enthusiastic, excited to get the school year going. Her form seemed to radiate optimism. However, there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes. I had a feeling I could place what was upsetting her. 

“It seems this is all who is going to come… Unfortunate…” 

She seemed a little unnerved by my contribution, but this wasn’t an abnormal occurrence. I confess my appearance was a little eerie to most, but I wasn’t concerned with that. It was actually interesting to see how people would react to me, giving me beautiful insight to their beliefs on what was “normal” and “acceptable”. 

The optimistic girl and the boy with the cap went out of the room again. I was curious about that. Where were they going? What were they doing? Why? I certainly wasn’t going to follow them, but I wanted to find the answers to my momentary questions. 

My answer came in the form of two new arrivals. One was a short boy, his hair spiked in an unusual manner. He seemed to have gotten distracted and didn’t arrive because of this. Even from this distance I could see his hands. Judging by the marks on them, I could deduce that his talent had something to do with crafting of some kind. Likely some mechanical aspects, if the wrench sticking out of his pocket was anything to go by.

The next was a girl dressed mostly in pink with some aspects that clearly were mechanical. Perhaps her talent was similar to the other boy? I could hear her calling the other blonde “pig tits”. What a vulgar tongue. Definitely not someone for Nee-san. It was curious, when the boy scolded her lightly for her rudeness towards “Akamatsu-san”, she shrunk and begged for him not to raise his voice. How unusual… I decided that even if she wasn’t worthy of being Nee-san’s friend, she would at least serve to enhance my studies. 

I revised my notes to fit my observations of the present classmates as the teacher came to mark attendance. The barefoot male, Gonta Gokuhara, entomologist. The pigtailed girl, Maki Harukawa, child caregiver. The short, unsocial boy, Ryoma Hoshi, tennis pro. The mysterious male, Rantaro Amami, talent undisclosed. The boy with the hat, Shuichi Saihara, detective. The optimist, Kaede Akamatsu, pianist. The spiked hair boy, “please call me Kiibo”, roboticist. Then there was the pink girl, Miu Iruma, the inventor. An inventor? My interest increased moderately more. I wanted to see how she came up with her inventions, and how modern culture affected what she believed to be necessary. 

When the teacher got to me, I looked up from my journal. “Please, call me Kiyo.” I commented simply. Not long after that a girl rushed into the room, seeming slightly out of breath. She called herself Tsumugi Shirogane, the ultimate cosplayer. To me she seemed plain for a cosplayer, but her aura suggested otherwise. There was an aspect to it that suggested the ability to become anyone necessary to her activities. A shapeshifting aura, one could call it. I took note of this, deciding to keep an eye out for changes in the aura based on her mood. It would be a curious experiment to say the very least. 

No one arrived for the rest of the day, but as I reviewed my notes on the way home, I decided that I was able to obtain valuable research even for just one day.

What the future of the school year would bring should the rest of the class appear sounded like it would be a display of infinite beauty.


	13. Potential Friends And Heart Pounding Festivities

After approximately a week it looked like everyone was finally present. I couldn’t help but pay attention more to the girls than the boys, regardless of the boys that caught my attention. I had to make sure Nee-san had many admirable friends. That was my first priority. I confirmed my decision to take Miu off the candidate list for her vulgar language and crude mannerisms, and Maki I was still wary about. I would need to observe her a bit longer to pass a final verdict, but so far the outlook wasn’t favorable.

The magician was a fascinating character. She seemed to be unmotivated to anything but sleep, and she withheld her emotions from the rest of the group. I could feel her aura, however, and it was much, much more vibrant. I wondered when she would grow into that powerful energy, and what in particular would be the event that triggered it. 

Her companion, whether she wanted her there or not, was much easier to read. She was energetic, as expected of someone with a talent like aikido, and appeared to have a distaste of men. That discovery was made when the detective tried to talk to her and ended up on the other side of the room, out cold. Inside I saw an earnest heart and strong desire to protect what she cares about. She was an amazing candidate to be Nee-san’s friend. However, she seemed to have some suspicions about my nature, so making it happen would be...difficult. 

The artist was interesting in her own way. She clung to “Atua”, claiming that he was some handsome god watching over them. I had my doubts about the validity of her claims, but it was her island’s culture, so who was I to question it? I wouldn’t give my blood as an offering however, no matter how many times she asked. I already had everything I needed thanks to Nee-san. She could be a friend for Nee-san either way… I wouldn’t discount her despite her plentiful quirks. 

The maid was a wonderfully helpful person. She looked like she had the desire to help anyone, but I could tell she wouldn’t help with every request. Another potential friend, but I would like to see the full extent of what she’s willing to do first. I couldn’t send Nee-san someone who would do impure things at the first request! Nee-san wouldn’t be happy if I did that. I wanted her to be happy and ward off loneliness, whatever it took. 

The day’s activities included an evening trip to a local festival. It was actually the astronaut who suggested we all go. I could tell he was the type who enjoyed a good party. I admit, festivals have always intrigued me. The grand display of older culture and modern facilities coming together truly was a sight to behold. We went as a class, but traveled in pairs. Regardless of my personal preference to travel on my own, I ended up paired with Miu. Thinking about it, it seemed like something we had in common was the fact that the rest of the group didn’t seem interested in associating much with us. An interesting connection, even I had to confess.

We passed by stall after stall, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that there were plenty of passerbys staring at us. Actually, it seemed to be at Miu first. The attire she chose for this occasion was as revealing as ever, and she always seemed to call out the people looking at her like that. From their initial expressions, I could deduce that the other festival attendees were thinking something along the lines of “How did such a creepy looking guy get with someone like her”. I should have realized they would think we were dating before this. On the other hand it was good note taking opportunity for the sake of measuring the human capacity for jumping to conclusions. 

The festival drew to a close with admittedly spectacular fireworks. I was drawn in by the choices of colors and the patterns that they were released into the sky. However, Miu seemed to have her own opinions on the matter. “Tch, whoever’s doin’ that probably couldn’t do it asleep. I’d totally fix that shit before calling myself a fucking professional! Cocky piece of shit...” she declared. I was, I confess, not in the mood to deal with her attitude at this second. “Can you keep that to yourself?” I questioned, perhaps blunter than intended, because she seemed to wilt immediately.

“H-hey...come on I-I’m just kidding…” 

Despite my annoyance of her vulgarity, I was intrigued. Do it asleep? Was that the theme of her creations? Perhaps within the next day or two I would inquire the reason behind that decision. 

Once again I returned to my home with satisfactory notes regarding my classmates and some bonus remarks about the general populace.


	14. The Productively Sleeping Lion's Den

I sat in my usual place every day for the next few days. There was something that was starting to trouble me. Watching Tsumugi’s “shapeshifting” aura, I started to pick up on something new that seemed to be darker, twisted in a way. It wasn’t very strong, but for me it was hard to miss. I took note of this the second I noticed its consistency, determining it was important to be aware of. It felt like something I sensed in one of our upperclassmen, but in that case it was stronger, more “pure” if you will. My instincts told me to stay away from both of them, so I turned my attention to other matters.

First was the thus far unanswered question behind the motive to invent things based on the need to do things while asleep. This in mind I rose from my seat, approaching the inventor as she vied for anyone’s attention. Perhaps with this we’d both get something we desire out of the interaction. On second thought, there was the chance that she’d neglect to answer anything and she’d only get the attention she seemed to desire so badly. 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. It didn't take long for my presence to be noticed. It would appear she didn't appreciate my quiet approach. “Don't sneak up on me crotchrot!” she snapped right off the bat. I shouldn’t have expected anything less than that. Shame on me. Regardless, I wasn’t going to back down because of a simple insult. 

“If you would like to be civil for a few minutes, I would like to inquire about the nature of your creations.” There, let her get confused into behaving nicely. She took a minute to process what I said before finally answering. “Haha! You’re interested in the work of such a beautiful genius? Alright, buckle down and brace yourself!”

It worked like a charm. I’ll make note of this after I’m done. I took a seat so I could manage my journal, cracking it open to a fresh page. Now was not the time to be called out on all the notes I’ve been taking about my classmates. Clicking my pen open, I prepared myself to write. “Alright, I noticed you questioned if the fireworks technician could do it asleep. That is the theme of your creations, correct?” 

At that she looked proud, almost to an arrogant degree. “Hell yeah it is!” she answered. I took note of that, making it clear that I wasn’t affected by the force behind her response. Looking up again, I chose my next question without missing a beat. “Why choose that for a theme?”

She frowned, but appeared to know exactly how she would respond. “Easy! People waste so much time on sleep, so I whipped up some stuff so they can be more productive while asleep!” I wrote this down, deciding that was a fair enough point. In today’s society it seemed like worth was determined by productivity, so why not try to make everyone more productive all the time? It made some sense after considering it for a little while. “Oh yeah, there were those eye drop contacts I made as a gag, but they didn’t help make people productive while asleep, so they were a total failure.”

Eye drop contacts a failure? I happened to disagree. In terms of usefulness, the ability to see in a more convenient manner was more important than the ability to do things while asleep. I felt like there would be some kind of repercussions for voicing this opinion that would mess with my research, so I chose to keep this to myself. 

The rest of the day was spent inquiring about her work and her motivations. I think from today alone we came to understand each other more. She...wasn’t as bad as she made herself out to be. She just wanted to make inventions to help the world. An admirable goal, I had to confess. Once we graduate, I have a feeling she’ll be able to get there eventually. That was the beauty of Ultimate talents.

At the end of the day I one of the last to leave, for a few minutes lost in organizing my notes. When I finally left the room, I once again sensed that overwhelmingly dark aura close by. The source was in one of the rooms I always passed on the way out, though I’ve never looked inside to see what it was. Something was being said, but I couldn’t hear particular words. 

It was an act of cowardice, but I didn’t stick around to see what would happen. Every fiber of my being told me to run, so I did. I hurried home to evaluate my research rather than do so on the walk back. I couldn’t say what was going on, but my instincts told me it was beyond suspicious. 

I wasn’t planning on getting caught up in any of that.


	15. Two Days Of Dark Suspicion

The next day was rather unusual. The first thing I noticed was Tsumugi absent. While an occurrence like this wouldn’t usually be considered unusual, Tsumugi has come to class sick before. She’s never missed a day, even if she’s had her fair share of late arrivals. I decided I would give her more time to appear before taking any notes on the unusual circumstances. 

What I did instead was watch the roboticist. He seemed to be a bit off today. While he normally was rather fair, today he became progressively paler as the day continued. On top of that, he seemed to be distracted. I wondered what he was thinking about, and what the reason behind his paleness was. There was a point where it seemed to become clear. 

He at one point put his head down on the desk for a few minutes. I thought he was going to fall asleep right there, but then he suddenly got up and left the room. I was mildly tempted to follow and see what he was up to, but then the thought struck me that perhaps he was going to the infirmary. He looked as if he was feeling unwell, so it made sense and dulled my curiosity. 

He didn’t come back the rest of the day. From that point on there was nothing to note.

The following day it was raining, and the Reserve Course protests were still going on outside the gates. Tsumugi still wasn’t back, but then again Kiibo was gone too. Perhaps Kiibo was still feeling unwell and decided to stay home. Tsumugi’s unknown whereabouts seemed to become a concern for everyone, so it was decided we’d go out and see if we couldn’t find her.

It took a long while of looking in the rain before we had to return inside. Instead, we stood by the window to watch outside. For a moment I considered the idea that she got caught up in the Reserve Course’s rioting, but to me it seemed unlikely. She seemed like the conflict avoidance type.

Kirumi and Tenko eventually came with green tea for everyone. I assisted in moving desks to make room for everyone to sit down. We sat in a circle and seemed to be drawn to the chabashira in Tenko’s cup. It was fascinating to see up close. I was curious to see how the good luck omen would turn out. 

When the day ended, I stayed behind to help put the desks back in order. Soon I went out to walk home. I didn’t think much about how dark it was; I could see fine. I heard something down the hall and turned around to see the source. As it approached I realized the sound was made by someone running down the hall. 

It was Miu, as I discovered by her full on barreling into me. I looked down and frowned at the sight before me. It was almost ironic, but it was no exaggeration to say she was shaking like a rabbit. “Miu? Did something happen?” I questioned, keeping my tone light to avoid startling her further. 

She looked up slowly, looking admittedly a little green. She rambled in some sort of blind panic, and unfortunately I couldn’t understand a word. I softly sighed. “I think it would be best for you to go home… Don’t concern yourself with coming back until you’re feeling better…”

She nodded and quickly scrambled off to go home. I couldn’t help but wonder what it was that scared her so bad that she wouldn’t even try to pretend not to be. I didn’t take the time to think about it. Something told me it would be bad to go back where she ran from to investigate; it seemed like it would be dangerous. Instead, I decided to go home and wait to hear about it another time.

It was only when I was halfway home that I realized that I didn’t take any notes today.


	16. Smoke and Ash

The next morning I went to the woods behind the school rather early. I wanted to be sure that I went to the right place on time. Aside from that, the breeze at this time of day was rather relaxing. As I stood there, more people started to appear. I’d say it was within twenty minutes that Angie, Kirumi, Tenko, Himiko, Kaede and Saihara had appeared. 

We stood there in near silence for a little while for whatever reason. I couldn’t place why no one spoke, but I wasn’t going to break the silence if I didn’t have to. The silence was broken by the dinging from Kaede’s phone, and her turning to face the school. I looked up to see past the trees to figure out what had spurred her on to look there. I frowned just a little seeing what was going on. 

The school was burning and smoking. It looked like the school was on fire in multiple places. Then there was a classroom that exploded and multiple bodies dropping from windows. I didn’t need to be an anthropologist to figure out that this was some violent revolution against the norms of modern society. However, its motives were unclear, even to me.

I thought for a moment about the classmates that weren’t present. Most of them knew to come right to the woods, but Tsumugi, Kiibo, and Miu didn’t. I had a feeling Tsumugi wouldn’t have come anyway, however Kiibo and Miu I couldn’t say for sure. I recall telling Miu to go home, but I’m sure she tried to come back to school. She never was the type to admit weakness. Kiibo I figured was still ill, so I wasn't too concerned about his whereabouts.

Something deep down told me to go check and make sure everyone was accounted for. This impulse drove me to walk towards the school despite the obvious danger. “Kiyo? Where are you going?” 

I heard Kaede questioning my behavior. I decided to ignore the question in favor of focusing on the more pressing issues at hand. I made my way through the trees and stared up at the burning building, going inside without second thought. I couldn’t tell how many dead bodies I passed before I found where Miu went. It appears she locked herself in her workshop. 

I knocked. “Miu? It’s Kiyo. We need to get out of here. The immediate danger has passed, I promise.” I suppose it would take about that much reassurance to get her to take my words seriously. As anticipated it worked, judging by the small click and the slow opening of the workshop door. 

“F-fine… Someone like me doesn’t need to be here…” Miu mumbled, as if halfheartedly trying to keep up a front of confidence. Together we exited the school and went into the rest of civilization to prepare for the storm to come. 

I kept my journal close, ready to record this phenomena as long as I was able to survive it.


	17. Supreme Leader of Being Betrayed

It was hard to tell what time of day it was. I personally didn’t care all that much, but if these bloody looking clouds could move so I could actually see the sky that would be great. What mattered most to me right now was that my beloved and I were fine. It would’ve been nice if all three of us were… No, no time for that. I’m a supreme leader of evil, I can’t be sentimental right now! 

We found a so far safe looking factory to hide out in for a little while. It’s not like we were on the run from anything in particular, but it seemed like the despairing outside didn’t want to come in here, so we would. But then again, there was the lingering question about why they didn’t want to come in here. It felt like some kind of sign. I think Amami noticed too, if his tense attitude was anything to go by. Who am I kidding, of course it was something to go by! He was a master of reading these situations!

I looked up at him with a smile. “Hey Amami-chan, wanna check this place out?” I questioned with a light purr in my voice. I already knew he wanted to, but didn’t seem to be interested in voicing his desires. Really, he should think about doing that more often. How am I supposed to know what my beloved needs if he won’t say it? I guess he’s had as much on his mind as me, as would be expected these days. 

He agreed with a simple nod and we got up to explore. We carefully picked our way through, making sure to be wary of where the ground seemed to be weaker than the rest. One door off to the side caught my eye, so without explanation I approached, slowly pushing the door and going inside. Amami apparently decided to follow behind me, his footsteps lightly audible behind me. The inside made me frown in confusion. “Hey Amami-chan..? What is this..?”

On tables and in piles on the floor were pieces of metal, looking like half finished machines. Machines… Why? Anyway, most of them had a bear theme from what I could see of them, but others I couldn’t tell for the life of me. I reached out and lightly touched the machine closest to me. It was just an arm-like appendage, but it seemed to be loaded with hidden weaponry. The thought wormed its way into my brain before I realized it was there. Were these supposed to be killing machines?

I turned to tell Amami my thoughts that we should definitely leave. He was investigating the other side of the room, looking like he was reaching the same conclusion if he didn't already. A creaking sound caught both our attention and we took the opportunity we had to hide realizing it was the door slowly opening. I ducked behind the table and it took a moment to realize I was holding my breath. 

Through a gap I could see someone...something enter the room. I couldn't see the details so well in the dim lighting, but it looked to be an unsettling combination of man and machine. Some kind of cyborg maybe? Either way, I was careful to move as little as possible. I couldn't say for sure off the bat, but I had a pretty good feeling it was probably dangerous. It seemed to be looking around the room intensely, or maybe that was just the way it always looked while checking up on things. 

My instincts told me it had a feeling we were there and that we had been touching its creations without permission. How exactly did I come to this conclusion? Well, you see, the cyborg creature went from standing still and scanning over the room to walking slowly and inspecting just about everything in sight. I silently gulped, knowing it was only a matter of time before that...thing found me. 

Speaking of which, here it comes. Slowly I shifted my position in an attempt to escape the cyborg before it could discover me. It looks like that decision was a mistake. Maybe there was some kind of enhanced vision feature, but it wasn’t long before it was standing over me. I moved back again to get a little distance. I stared right into its eyes as we continued our awkward shuffling two-step. 

My heart just about stopped once I started to see clearly and started to be able to identify specific features. Off-white hair, beat up sneakers, grey hoodie, that one, practically antigravity strand of hair. I had a feeling I knew exactly who this was, but something was unsettling me a little. His eyes. They were bright red, alight with some kind of malice. Why was he looking at me like that? Did I tease him too much? How did I not see this coming?

I unconsciously tensed up seeing a metallic hand reaching towards me. Oh god was he going to kill me? Looking at the killer machines lying around, I decided I’d rather not be the test dummy for any of those. I don’t want to be torn apart by those stupid piles of scrap metal. I looked around in carefully disguised fear, looking for something to use to help me. 

My back bumped against the wall and froze, realizing that I was only moments away from being torn to bits. I didn’t want to die like this. I’d rather be able to decide how I died, not let some self-made cyborg do whatever he wanted. Suddenly he just dropped to the floor, out cold. I looked up, seeing Amami holding a thing pipe and looking like he was conflicted about the decision he made. Slowly I touched the fallen form, feeling a pulse. “Hey, don’t look like that. You didn’t kill him Amami-chan.”

Amami seemed to relax a little, but still looked a little concerned. “...Kiibs...What happened to him..?” he murmured, seeming a little forlorn. I shrugged. To be totally honest, I felt betrayed. I trusted he would never do anything to hurt me, and now if Amami hadn’t stepped in I’d probably be dead or dying. I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive that, not for a while. “Can’t say. You wanna ask him or something?” Amami frowned, not really appreciating my sarcasm. “I’d feel better to know…” 

I softly sighed. My beloved might be helpful, but sometimes I just couldn’t understand him. “Fine…”

I bet you’re wondering what my perspective is right? Well, you might not be, but too bad! I’m going to tell you anyway!


	18. Love At First Prank

The first day of school, I didn’t feel like going. I wanted to do something else. Namely, I felt like hanging around with DICE. We were planning our pranks for all morning, working out this and that detail to make sure it wasn’t dangerous. Our first operation was to go to a pretty obscure part of town and mess around with water balloons and casual graffiti. I grinned behind my special mask once we were ready to go. 

The area had a pretty small amount of foot traffic, which we expected, and we took position. I whistled, and ten happy clown pranksters descended from the heavens to play. I was spraying a big smile on the side of a building, my much larger companion tossing water balloons at people’s feet when they got too close. When I was done I swapped the spray can for the water balloons. 

I saw someone using their book bag to protect themselves from the onslaught of water. I giggled softly and threw a few balloons at them. It’s their own fault for being so tall! With their pants getting wetter than before, they lowered their book bag to block the lower flying balloons. When I saw their face, by heart skipped a beat. This boy was...beautiful. The uniform told me he was another boy heading to Hope’s Peak, but for the life of me I couldn’t tell what for. 

He had a plethora of piercings. I counted seven on total on his ears and another one on his eyebrow. He had a couple of rings on each hand and a simple necklace. Normally that much “self decorating” would turn me off, but somehow this boy made it look good. His green hair was moderately messy, but in a laid back, “I’m just hanging out” kind of way. He was a bit of a “prettyboy”, but that was fine. 

Oh no I think I have a crush on this guy. Now I’m starting to feel bad about messing with him… I think I was staring, considering how he stared back for a long moment before checking the time and running off to school. I hummed softly. You know what? Maybe I’ll go to school tomorrow. I’m interested in getting to know him better. I think I’ll call him my beloved until further notice. Now don't go teasing me about love at first sight. I got the idea. I don't care about a label on the feeling, this mysterious boy was my beloved. That's all there is to it. 

I watched him go. He seemed to regain a casual composure once he was even a little out of the “danger zone”. He didn’t even seem bothered by the wetness of his clothes. What a relaxed person! I couldn’t wait to figure out who he was and what his story was. 

My team and I decided to leave soon after. My teammates were laughing about their success with the pranking, but I didn’t contribute much. I couldn’t stop thinking about that boy. I had to figure out how to get him to notice me! As soon as the rest of the team deduced the reason behind my silence, the gentle teasing went on for ages. However, a bit of soda and pizza worked well to get everyone’s mind off of the issue. 

I thought a little longer about the plan for the future. Definitely I would go to school tomorrow. I just needed to figure out how to approach him. I needed to approach the right way. I didn’t want to get off on the right foot. I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea about my intentions. Maybe I’ll wait to mention my involvement with the water balloons this morning. 

 

Yeah, that was a good idea. I don’t want to make him think I’m a bully!


	19. Double Or Nothing

I wasn’t lying when I decided I’d go to school today. The uniform was a bit stuffy, but on the bright side I was able to wear my signature checkered scarf with it. To be totally honest, suit clothes weren’t really my style. No lies, promise! I took a nice little route to get there, enjoying the weather while I could. It was still warm and sunny, perfect weather for a nice stroll. Who cares about punctuality anyway?

When I went into the classroom, there were only a few people in the room. I took a look around to see who was around. I decided that there were plenty of people around that would prove to be entertaining. That’s when I saw him once again, but he wasn’t alone. 

My beloved was at his desk, looking pretty relaxed. He was talking to a boy not much bigger than me. This boy seemed to be moderately shy, but was still willing and able to interact with him. I didn’t know how to feel about this. What I decided to do was get involved with both of them. I bounced over to the desk and casually leaned on it with a smile. 

The two turned to look at me and smiled politely. My beloved spoke up first. “Hey, what’s up? I’m Rantaro Amami, who’re you?” he questioned. Rantaro Amami huh? A lovely name for a lovely person. “I’m Kokichi Ouma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!” I answered, making a proud look in an attempt to further prove that I did, in fact, have authority in some way, shape, or form. The other boy seemed to get those vibes based on how he shifted the second I was done introducing myself. He called himself Kiibo, whose talent apparently had something to do with robots. Interesting…

I spent a while with them. It was a little fun to pick on Kiibo, such as asking if the robots he makes have genitals or not. I confess, most of my attention was on my beloved. I wanted to know everything I could about him that he was willing to share right away. His voice was smooth and easy to listen to, and I was drawn in to listen to it longer. He liked to travel by boat and snuck away to do it often. I have yet to figure out what his favorite place to go was. Maybe he’ll mention it another time!

I couldn’t help but think about the interactions later. Amami-chan was as amazing as I thought he’d be, though I couldn’t help but feel like he had some trouble believing some of the things I said. Is he good at detecting lies too? He did seem to have a bit of fun trying to counter my lying. Was this going to turn into a game? Challenge accepted my beloved, challenge accepted. 

Then there was Kiibo. He was...kind of cute in his own way. He seemed to be a bit naive, clearly stumbling to grasp the truth behind anything I said. He looked like someone who could be swayed easily if he wasn’t careful. I’m sure I’ll be able to keep him from falling into the wrong crowd! A supreme leader takes care of those he’s responsible for after all! Of course, he doesn’t know yet that I’ll be taking care of him too, so let’s keep that a secret for now. 

Dare I say I have two little beloveds in my class? What a wonderful school!


	20. Cupcakes For The Birthday Avocado

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short little special chapter for Amami's birthday featuring Ouma baking!

Today was Amami-chan’s birthday! I woke up early, excited despite myself. I would help make my beloved’s day special, without a doubt! It would be a little difficult refraining from causing any mischief, but if it was for the sake of my beloved, I would do it. It would be my personal vow for the day. I’d make up for it at a later date with a nice prank on someone.

When I got out of bed, the first thing that came to mind was cupcakes. I didn’t know why it was cupcakes in particular, but I got right to work. Admittedly I made a bit of a mess of the kitchen, but the final product was totally worth the effort. The kitchen smelled absolutely wonderful, and the cupcakes themselves didn't look too bad either. When they cooled enough I put frosting on them in vatious shades of blue and green with a generous amount of rainbow sprinkles. Everything's better with rainbow sprinkles.

When all of that was done, I boxed them up and carried them to school with me along with a little candle and lighter tucked safely in my pocket. I was determined to make my beloved’s special day super special! I waited until the class was almost all there before making my move. I stuck the candle in a green cupcake and lighted it, putting it on Amami-chan’s desk.

“Happy birthday Amami-chan!” I said enthusiastically.

He looked a little caught off guard by the gesture, but the look lasted for only a fleeting moment before he smiled. “Ah? Thank you Ouma-kun.” he said casually. Despite his usual tone I could tell he was content. He liked it! He really liked it! Wonderful!

Of course, to be fair I let the rest of the class have the other cupcakes. It was a shame that I had to convince them over and over that I didn’t do anything to them. Couldn’t they trust me at least once? It was my beloved Amami-chan’s birthday! I would never do something as cruel as prank everyone today!

Slowly the cupcakes disappeared from the box after I bit into one to prove that they were safe. What worrywarts. There was a pleasant chorus of the basic “Happy Birthday” song from most of the class, and finally Amami-chan blew out the candle. I couldn’t help but be curious about what he could have wished for. It was an impulsive move, but i decided to ask him flat out rather than dance around the question for once.

“Hey Amami-chan? What’d you wish for?” 

He was quiet before smiling just a little. Whatever wish he made, he seemed to be glad he chose that one.

“It’s a secret. Maybe if you guess it right I’ll tell you.”

I pouted. “Amami-chan!”


	21. Potty Paper Prankster

A few days passed since the party and everything returned to the same old pattern. The predictability was a little boring, but it was quality time with my beloveds, so I couldn’t exactly complain. However, my mind was whirring with ways to spice things up a little. The question is, what would I do to accomplish this? I wasn’t completely sure just yet. I already knew who I wanted to mess with, but I have yet to determine how it would be done. 

I paced around the “secret base”, working through one plan after another. Of course, I didn’t want it to be too dangerous, that wasn’t my style, but it had to be fun. Fun for me at least. It was in the bathroom that I got my grand scheme in mind. I knew just who to ask for assistance.

The next morning I got to school before everyone. I waited at the desk in question waiting for my unwitting accomplice. Minutes passed and the door finally opened, the large bug man appearing. I hummed. “Gokuhara-chan what took you? You’re late…” I mused, trying to sound as disappointed in him as I could manage. Needless to say, it got a good reaction. “Ah! Gonta sorry for lateness!” he answered, looking pretty distressed about his perceived tardiness.

I laughed softly. “It was a lie! Geez you’re slow.” I teased. Gonta at least looked relieved that he wasn’t late. If he stayed bummed out that would totally mess with my plans. “Ouma-san? What toilet paper for?” he asked, confused as I anticipated he’d be. “Nishishi, it’s for the desk of course! You know, like one of those cocoon things? What were you expecting? A pooping date? What a dirty mind!”

He was upset again. “N-no! Gonta not think that!” Oh man, it was fun to screw around with him. He believed me so easily. It could work out in my favor for future pranks whenever I thought of them. I hummed. “Anyway, come on, we don’t have all day to pull this off.” Gonta frowned and gave me the toilet paper. “Is...this okay? Gonta not think this is gentlemanly…” 

I decided to ignore the question and got to work. With a little tape and an entomologist keeping watch in the hall, I wrapped up the desk in the toilet paper. It took a couple rolls to get it to a shape I was a fan of. It looked like a giant toilet paper furniture mummy. I grinned and left, waiting for some of my classmates to arrive before returning to the room. 

When I finally did come back, I sat at my desk and doodled on a little piece of paper. I was merely waiting for the time to come where my prank would be discovered by its target. Speaking of the target, here she comes! I glanced up when Miu came in and went to her desk. She immediately looked at me and scowled. “You little shitstain!” she snapped. I laughed as she chased me around the room. It was totally worth it!

Then cleanup had to start. I was roped into helping because it was technically my fault. No, not technically, but still. At least Kirumi helped out, even though everyone tried to dissuade her. It took a few little trash cans to get rid of all the toilet paper, but eventually, the desk looked like a desk again and was actually usable. 

I still don’t regret what I did. It was too much fun.


	22. Rain Dance

It was raining, those average joe students were rioting and trying to jump the fence, it was a pretty interesting day. Also, Kiibo and Tsumugi were missing. Everyone seemed too preoccupied with Tsumugi’s unknown location to worry about Kiibo’s. He’s not an invincible kid! We should be checking up on him too! I softly sighed. Someone has to notice eventually. 

Great, now we’re going outside. Of course, it was Kaede’s idea. Was she trying to get all of us killed? Really, what was she thinking? Kidding! Geez, blaming Akamatsu-chan is so mean! I stayed with Amami-chan under his umbrella. I didn’t bring one of my own; it was too troublesome to carry around all day. He seemed fine with sharing, so all’s well that ends well. 

We were tasked with the area behind the school to the east side. There honestly wasn’t much here besides open fields and trees. Not that I minded, it was fewer things to check. Amami-chan broke the silence for once. “You know, joining me is a surefire way not to find her.” he commented. I already had a feeling about that. She really didn’t like him much, did she? Her reasons were total crap too! Oh well, her loss. 

I smiled. "Oh yeah? I don't know, I'm sure my beloved Amami-chan can find her no problem!" I teased. Even I knew no matter what she was doing, she'd be trying to avoid my beloved like the plague. If it wasn't totally illegal, she probably would've tried to kill him by now. Lucky for us she hasn't yet. I guess I could say I was a little paranoid she would, but if she's trying to keep away from all of us, she wouldn't break her streak just for that.

Honestly, I wasn’t too worried about her safety right now. She was probably at home being distracted by some emotionally charged anime marathon or something. I’m pretty sure she’d be into that kind of thing. I mean, with the amount of references she’s made, it makes way too much sense. Soon enough she’d wander into the classroom whining about “feels” again before complaining about it to whoever would bother to listen. 

What a pain.

It was about an hour or two before we retreated indoors. It was about time! When we got back to the classroom, almost everyone crowded around by the windows to keep watch for whatever was outside. I didn’t see the point and instead plopped down in someone’s abandoned desk, putting my feet up just because I could. Momma Tojo and Tenko went off somewhere after a few minutes. Why? Were they going to go back out there?

I understood when they came back with tea for everyone. Just like Momma Tojo to be so reliable! Reluctantly I got up when they started moving the desk, deciding I’d rather get up on my own than risk getting thrown across the room by an annoyed aikido practitioner. When it became clear we would sit in a circle, I immediately sat by Amami-chan’s side, wanting to sit close to my beloved. I merely glanced at the chabashira in Tenko’s cup for a moment before drinking my own tea. I didn’t believe in that kind of good luck omen. I didn’t have enough proof to have a reason to. 

Besides, I had other things to worry about.


	23. Hello Madness My Old Friend

The next day it was going to be our little “class nature walk”. I didn’t mind the trip, but at the same time, there were other things I’d rather be doing. Who didn’t? I don’t think a nature walk would do much to help me be a strong supreme leader. It probably wouldn’t. It could just be some “bonding exercise”. That was a waste too. We could’ve just come up with something that wasn’t some kind of mandated event.

I went to Amami-chan’s house. We agreed to go together to the walk. The stop was a little out of my way, but I didn’t mind. It was worth it to spend extra time with my beloved. I waited outside the door, waiting for him to come outside. I looked up to the sky to play with the shapes of the clouds to pass the time. I quickly spotted a cloud that looked like a bear. It was kind of cute, in a fluffy, cloudlike way. I then noticed there was something wrong with the sky. 

It was a bit redder than normal. I don’t mean that in a sunrise kind of way. It looked to me like the sky was bleeding, or at least about to. I wonder if I could put a giant bandage on it. It made little sense for the sky to turn red, so maybe putting a bandage on it sounded reasonable enough. As I pondered this, Amami-chan finally came outside.

“Woah, what’s up with the sky?”

I turned around and smiled. “The sky? Weeeelllllll, isn’t it obvious? It’s coming down, we’re all doomed!” 

Amami-chan didn’t seem amused. “Okay, so what’s up with the sky?”

“Aww, you’re no fun Amami-chan! Anyway...I’m not really sure what’s going on here. Let’s get to school, maybe it’ll clear up later!”

He chuckled. “Wow Ouma, I never expected you’d be excited for school.”

“Oh, I’m full of surprises my beloved Amami-chan~”

We walked towards the school with some more banter to the effect of the plot of Chicken Little. I looked up seeing a lot of smoke in the direction we were heading. “Ehhhh? Someone’s making a huge campfire! Without us? How mean!” 

Amami-chan suddenly picked up the pace, rushing towards where the smoke was coming from. I pouted. “Hey! Wait for me!” I whined, running to catch up with him. After a few blocks, the school came into view and we stopped in our tracks. “Woah. Talk about a campfire. Or should I call it a schoolfire? I dunno, either would make sense.”

The school was on fire. Major league on fire. Not to mention all the people jumping out the windows. Okay, maybe this was a little unsettling. Whoever was responsible for this is one rotten person. Then again, so am I, to a degree. Not that I’d kill anyone.

I frowned, seeing that Kiyo guy go into the building. What’s he doing anyway? Amami-chan seemed concerned too because I had to grab his hand to stop him from going in after him. “Do you have a deathwish too? We gotta get further from the building, not closer to it!”

He seemed conflicted about that. “But he’s my friend too… I don’t think dying here would help him fulfill his goals…” Wow, what a lame protest. It took a bit of insistent tugging, but eventually he finally relented and turned away from the school.

Together we took to the streets to escape that madness.


	24. Relentless

Relentless. Those fools were so relentless. “Protect the future” they claim. “Save the hope for the sake of the future”. Can’t they get it into their heads? There is no future! Why can’t they just lie down and die like the rest of the ants in the way? Fine, I’ll be just as relentless! I’ve got things to do! I don’t have the time to run around avoiding those pests. I guess the talents they have make it more interesting to escape them, but I really have no time for this! 

Well… Maybe I do have to thank them for one thing… Whenever that red guy tries to attack, he never bothers to keep track of the knives he throws! Those are some top quality weapons, I have to say. I picked up a few that missed me whenever I had the chance. I’m not really a weapons expert, but I can tell that it’s some really well-made stuff. 

They will definitely help me go through with my goal… 

It was another narrow escape today. At least some of my cosplays help me become stealthier for enough time to lose them for another day. Never, not once, have I lost track of my target. I can’t afford that. Even if he’s some edgy normie, he’s good at avoiding detection more often than not. If I lost track of him, I can’t say for sure how long it would take me to find him again. 

Of course he was with that little twink again! Geez, what a pain. I guess I could kill him too, but that would be more of an afterthought. I want to do what I’m passionate about, meaning, I needed to go through with that one murder. Is it murder? No, it’s more of a sacrifice for the greater good. The world would be so much better off without that stupid playboy normie! 

I barely managed to suppress a groan seeing them go into _his_ factory. I knew very well how tense he was about intrusions. I can’t believe this. There’s no way that...metal junkie is going to steal my thunder! Then again, there’s no way I’m going to deal with being chased out by his machines again! Those things are even more relentless than those Future Foundation bugs! At least with the machines, they stop after a certain distance. 

I decided to wait and see what happened with them in there. I was waiting for the machines to throw them out. Maybe I’d get lucky and the twink would get shredded! I don’t want to lift more fingers than I have to. Besides, the emotional scarring would make the normie so much more vulnerable! My job would be so much easier!

I kept waiting. Waiting and watching. I didn’t see anything. Were they both caught by the machines? I listened. It was silent. There were no whirring machines or screams of alarm. Did they not alert them yet? Impossible. His machines were top of the line! They would’ve noticed them before they even walked in the door! This time I groaned for real. I should’ve known he’d get soft the second he figured out who the intruders were. 

I’ll wait it out. I know I’ll trigger the guard machines, so trying to get in and clean up wouldn’t work out in my favor. Maybe he wasn’t going to kill them after all… That outcome was so disappointing to think about. He’s going to let down Enoshima-sama if he just lets them go. If he doesn’t kill or chase them out, they’ll have to come out on their own. And when they do…

I’ll be ready.


	25. First Cos-day

I sat quietly by my dear sewing machine, watching the thread lovingly connect two pieces of soft material, coming together as a costume from the heart. The rhythm of the needle moving up and down soothed my heart, the movement serving as a source of comfort even though I wasn't particularly stressed about anything. After a while, something started tugging at my mind. Was I forgetting something? I thought I took care of everything but did I? I stole a quick glance at the clock. A glance turned into a long stare, something about the time reminding me of...something. What’s the date? I fumbled around, moving hanging clothes away from the wall to get to the cute anime calendar I hung on the wall. I looked at the date and panicked for a second realizing I was definitely forgetting something.

Uh-oh.

Today was supposed to be the first day of school! I’m late! I stuffed some sketchbooks and pencils in my bag and ran out the door. Maybe some actual notebooks would be more useful, but I didn't have time for that. The sketchbooks were the closest pieces of paper I could find. I’d like to say I ran like someone evading a high-level monster, but I don’t have those kinds of abilities. I hopped up the stairs and after a bit of searching went into the classroom. I noticed that attendance was wrapping up and decided to speak up. “I’m sorry I’m late! Tsumugi Shirogane, Ultimate Cosplayer!”

Wow, what a sorry crowd. There were only a few people here, but I’m sure there were supposed to be more in the class! I only got a quick look around, but I could only get a good look at a couple of people. I can't say for sure, but I have a feeling the people in this class are going to be a pain. At least some of them will be. I caught glimpse of a way too happy blonde, a green playboy, and a no-faced spirit. No wait, he’s an actual person. My hobbies slipped in again, sorry. Anyway, I couldn't get the thought out of my head that the green playboy was going to be a nuisance whether he talked to me or not. I just didn't like him even at first glance.

I didn’t say much during class. I didn't have anything special to say anyway. No way these people would understand what I say about my talent anyway. Most of the time was spent thinking. Thinking about what? I was planning new costumes, thinking about what I would watch tonight, the latest con, everything my otaku mind could grasp. Besides, most of the class didn’t really catch my attention. I didn’t feel like talking to any of them. Maybe if I continue to ignore their advances, they’ll go away.

I guess you could say it worked. Barely anyone paid attention to me the rest of the day. Maybe it was because I wasn’t talking, but I think it’s because of how plain I am. I probably just blended into the background after a little while. Maybe my glasses also served to be a barrier from the unwanted social advances of my classmates. Trust me, I didn’t really mind. I didn't need to talk to them today anyway. I could always do it another day. No one said that on the first day I had to talk to everyone until I ran out of air.

The day ended unremarkably. The time for class came to an end and everyone just got up and walked out, some talking, some not. It was nothing like those slice of life animes! Unless it’s a slow-burner… That could be it! Or I could just not be the protagonist of this one. I knew I should’ve had toast in my mouth when I ran late! Of course that's why I wasn't the protagonist. I didn't follow the tropes properly, and now I doomed this school year to be a slow-burning anime that bores the audience to tears!

To be fair, most of the days that followed were just as unremarkable. It was dull even to someone as plain as me. My time was spent making costumes and going to cons to block out the monotony of class. Yes yes, I know. All my classmates are so colorful and interesting, how could I possibly be bored? The answer to that question is simple. They’re about as deep as characters I could make myself for kicks. They were almost predictable, set up like that. 

Then I met a true idol. Her name?

Junko Enoshima.


	26. A Despairfully Fateful Encounter

It happened when I ran out of mannequins. I was so busy working on my costumes that I didn’t think to make sure I had enough to put the works in progress. There were other rooms designated for fashion related talents in the school, so I thought that I’d find more there for sure. Of course, I’d return them once I was done needing them. I wasn’t going to hog all of them!

My pace was casual since there were very few others to get around. It wasn’t long since the day ended, so only some stragglers stayed behind to do their work. I went to the fashion room closest to the one I worked in, sliding open the door calmly. To be honest, I have never been in this one. Fabric and thread always showed up in my room when it seemed like I was starting to run low, so I never needed to go to another room for them. 

There were clothes of all styles hanging on rows upon rows of hangers. I knew what I was looking for, but even I couldn’t help but be distracted by the different outfits. I touched only a few, and was interested in the high-quality materials they were made of. Different than the materials I tend to use, but I could think of ways to use similar materials. 

I shook my head to refocus on my goal. Turning away from the hangers, I went to go back further into the room to look for the mannequins. I wasn’t, however, expecting someone else to be right behind me. “Wow, for someone so plain you have good taste. I’m impressed.” I took a moment to get a better look at her. She had big, light pinkish pigtails and a bow in one with a rabbit clip on the other side. 

It took a long moment, but I soon figured out who she was. She was Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Fashionista. I should’ve expected someone with a talent like hers to be in a room like this. I realized I was standing there like a fool, so I finally spoke up. “Really? Thanks!” I tried to put the cheerful tone in to make up for my awkward silence. At least it felt like an awkward silence to me. 

Junko smiled. Oh thank goodness, she didn’t mind my hesitation. “I’m curious, what are you looking for?” she questioned. I managed a small smile when I answered. “I’m just running out of open mannequins…” I didn’t mind as she followed me back, even if she didn’t help move the mannequins I took with me. She explored my workroom. “Cosplay huh? This stuff is totally detailed.” 

I brightened up significantly. “Do you like anime? What’s your favorite? Mine is-” She held up a hand to slow me down. “Woah, hold up. I’m more of a casual watcher. I don’t get much time to watch between shoots.” she explained. I nodded slowly. “I understand. Maybe sometime we can watch together if you’re ever up for it!”

She seemed to consider it for a moment. Would she accept? She hummed with a smile. “I’ll see if I have any time to spare.” she mused. She would do that? Amazing! I didn’t expect that to work at all! She looked at the clock. “I know someone you might like, but we’ll talk about that later, I have to get going.” she mused after a pause. 

Just like that, she walked out. 

What an interesting person.


	27. Making Connections

The next time we met was before school a few days later. She seemed to be a bit curious about my class, which is understandable. I mean, everyone’s so talented who wouldn’t want more details? I felt nothing wrong with telling her all about them and the craziness we’ve gotten into as a class. I guess they were more interesting than I gave them credit for because Junko was hanging onto every word as if considering something. 

After a few minutes, she looked up with a smile I couldn’t quite place. It was like both a curious and excited look. Definitely a look that’s hard for someone as plain as me to replicate. “I think I’d like to meet that guy.” she said all of a sudden. 

I frowned in confusion. “Which guy?”

She sighed. “Come on, keep up Shirogane. I know you’re plain as all hell, but I thought you were smarter than this! I’d like to talk to that robotics guy.”

I thought about this for a moment. I couldn’t quite place what a fashion idol would see interesting in a roboticist, but who am I to judge? Everyone’s got their side interests, and I guess Junko’s has to do with machines. Actually, now that I think about it, I don’t actually know much about what goes on in legitimate fashion shoots. Maybe she just needs to find someone to make more advanced camera technology. No matter how I looked at it, there was nothing all that strange about the request. I smiled. “I can probably set something up. When do you want to meet him?”

Junko seemed positively giddy at the proposal. “I’d prefer tomorrow, but if it has to be the weekend I guess I can pencil some time in.” she answered smoothly. Her changing tones were almost hypnotic to watch. Attractive even. I felt some kind of need to make sure she was pleased, but it was in a friendship kind of way I think. 

That night we went to the festival as a class. As much as Kaito’s headstrong and reckless behavior was a bit of a pain sometimes, he was good at making plans that fit right into what I needed to do at the time. Even better, we were going around in pairs. I casually paired up with Kiibo, even though he seemed to want to go with someone else. He seemed like he wished groups of three were okay. I frowned. “Hey, don’t look so disappointed Kiibo. We can have fun too, promise.” I said to lift his spirits. 

Just like that, all the pairs went off in their own directions. We went to a quieter area. Someone set up a tiny petting zoo but there were mostly household animals with a few goats mixed in. Most likely they couldn’t actually find enough farm animals to make it seem truly legitimate, but that was fine. Actually, Kiibo looked very happy playing with the little dog that wriggled its way into his lap. 

I sat next to him and lightly stroked a drowsy cat near my hand. Now was as good a time to talk about the meeting with Junko as any time. I hummed thoughtfully. “Hey Kiibo, do you have free time tomorrow?”

He looked up and I swear even that dog perked up in curiosity. “Tomorrow? Um...probably. Why? Is there something you need?”

I smiled in relief. Good, Junko gets her first choice of meeting times. “Not me in particular, but one of our upperclassmen wants to meet you.”

“An upperclassman? Do you mean the mechanic two years ahead?”

Okay, that assumption was probably to be expected. I mean, their talents are pretty similar after all. I happen to think that Kiibo’s is a bit more impressive, but that’s beside the point. “No, not him. I’m talking about Junko Enoshima. You know, the fashionista a year above us?”

He looked as surprised at the thought as I felt at first. “Huh? Did she say why?”

I shook my head. “No, she just wants to talk probably. Nothing wrong with more friends right?”

He looked down and scratched behind the dog’s ears in thought. I couldn’t help but smile seeing just how content it looked, tail wagging almost a mile a minute. Finally he spoke up. “I guess that’s true...I guess it couldn’t hurt to at least meet her…” he mused.

Success. I went over the information of the meeting that I was aware of since Junko didn’t give me all of the details. 

When the fireworks started I giggled a little watching the dog demand further snuggles, looking spooked by all the loud noises. Kiibo seemed to understand what the pup wanted, wrapping his arms gently around it as if to make an affectionate “shield”. After a little while, it was over and we had to return home. We didn’t talk all that much until we had to part ways. We only exchanged casual “see you tomorrow”s before going in different directions. 

I wasn’t sure whether or not to tell him the dog was still following him.


	28. Screening Party

I never found out what happened during that meeting. Of course, I was a little curious, but if Junko didn’t want to tell me, then I had no place to ask. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. Judging by her demeanor after the fact, I’d say it went well. It’s been a while since that first meeting, and from what I can tell there have been at least a couple more afterward. I’m happy it went so well. 

I got to meet Junko’s nurse friend once or twice. I admit she’s a bit of an oddball, but she’s an interesting enough character as is. I probably wouldn’t seek her out on my own, but if Junko saw something in her, that was enough for me. Hey, she saw something in plain old me didn’t she? She helped me so much to see what I could really do with my skills. Maybe a couple people got stabbed along the way, but that’s just a metaphor for life, isn’t it?

Today I was supposed to finally meet the person Junko said I’d be interested in. She said he was an animator. Although...it seems like he tended to run off pretty frequently as of late. I can’t imagine why he would do that. She went off to probably see where he went and said if I wanted to I could poke around the computer to see some of his work. 

Of course I was interested.

Slowly I sat down at the desk and clicked through the files to see what he was working on. The first animation I found was moving beyond a degree I was used to. And I got passionate about anime, trust me. When it was over I wiped my tears away on my sleeve and went looking for something to cheer me up. 

I came across another video, but it seemed to be more of a video editing project than an animation. My curiosity piqued as I opened the file, wondering what the Ultimate Animator could do in terms of editing video that already exists. I soon came to the realization that the footage wasn’t touched yet. 

But...What was I looking at?

Is that the student council? Why are they on tape? Hang on… Why do they all have weapons? What are they doing? This isn’t the way their meetings usually went… I was a bit confused, sure, but as it progressed, I came to understand what was interesting about it. It was like one of those survival of the fittest animes, right? 

This, however, was...raw. None of them knew how to fight, and probably wielded weapons for the first time just then. There was frenzy in every movement, each student desperate to survive, desperate to be the last one standing. Then there was one. No wait, a new challenger appeared!

He was fascinating, I could tell just by looking at him. He had long black hair and deep red eyes. He was kind of good-looking, but the air around him was what was the most interesting. It was like he knew no matter what happened, he would come out on top, supported by his “let’s get this over with” expression. As I expected, he was the ultimate victor, coming out with only a scratch on his cheek. The only thing in my mind was the realization that I had no recollection of him being part of the student council. Maybe he just decided to walk in and get involved. That’s fine too.

Some part of my mind felt like it should’ve seen something wrong with what I saw, but after all that’s gone on, it just felt normal. Normal… That reminded me of that edgy normie. The thought of him made me upset. Can’t he just get hit by a bus and disappear? I’d drive the bus myself if that’s what it took. No… I’d like to drive that bus...to see his stupid face smash against the windshield. Right now, nothing would please me more.

Actually, I could do something other than hit him with a bus… I could do so many things pulled right from one of my animes. I could make it spectacular. There was the issue of those kinds of ends being too good for him, but they were horrifying enough to satisfy me. After all, can’t I make the world one giant cosplay? I’ll make it a paradise without that normie and make it beautiful for Junko and whoever she wants to inhabit her world.

That’s what friends are for, right?


	29. Fireball

A couple days passed and I wasn’t in class. I didn’t care; it was more important to me to be able to make Junko’s perfect world. To do that, I had to hone my talent the best way I could. First thing’s first… I had to die on paper. How? Fake it of course! I heard from a little birdie that today the others wouldn’t be in class. I think they were supposed to be near the school, so I had to be careful about my entrance. 

My plainness paid off today. No one noticed me as I entered the school and ducked into the classroom. I noticed on the way in that Miu was coming too, so I kept the lights off and locked the door. If it was obvious that “no one” was inside, she wouldn’t find me. I held my breath as the doorknob jiggled. Profanity and the sound of loud footsteps alerted me that she left. 

What a relief.

I carefully unlocked the door and turned the lights back on. I still had to wait for someone to arrive. I knew exactly who I was waiting for, but I didn’t know when he’d arrive. I was glad Kiibo finally came to realize how good it would be for everyone to make the world in Junko’s image. I liked him, at least in a friendly way. I wondered how he would use his talent to reach that goal. Robotics could be useful, especially with a new, set theme for everything Junko wanted to spread. It was easy to make the empty teddy bear fur, and if my hunch was right, Kiibo was commissioned to make something for the insides. 

Oh, there he is. 

He was silent when he entered, a serious looking frown on his face. He didn’t seem to be interested in much of anything. I guess that’s just how he decided to display his despair to the world. Oh my, I said it. Despair. It’s a beautiful world. Together we’ll make the world beautiful in the name of despair and Junko Enoshima. No matter how much resistance the world came back with, we’d get what we want. 

I regarded him with mild interest, especially with a certain, unfamiliar feature. His hand. I had a feeling it went much further up, maybe even all the way up, but I couldn’t see it under his sleeve. It was a dark metal, joints fitted with dark fabric probably to make bending easier. I hummed in recognition. “Someone’s got an upgrade.”

He turned to face me, looking unamused by my commentary. “It’s necessary to be a better being.” he responded simply. Alright, he’s not so talkative today. That’s fine I guess. There’s no need for words here. Only patience. There would be plenty of time for discussion once they meet their objectives. 

We looked to the window, waiting for the time to put their plans into action. I couldn’t help but lightly smile watching the Reserve Course ants finally break through security and rush to storm the school. They looked like ants, and with their worth were essentially equal. Ah, would that big bad head of security smile at my rhetoric. What an idiot. He can’t even keep a herd of talentless insects off the Main Course grounds. 

I heard them rampaging in the halls and decided to make my move. I sent a quick text to Kaede, simply asking if it was the class making all the noise in the halls. I knew she’d come see what was going on. If she believed we were dead, the others would too. Everyone seems to trust her opinion right off the bat for some reason or another. 

The Reserve Course was trashing everything outside, and naturally, we followed suit. Within seconds our classroom was an absolute disaster. Then Kiibo grabbed a box of matches and lighter fluid and the room was ablaze. We waited until the Reserve Course was jumping out the windows to run. Neither of us spoke as we ran out the back door. We looked up at the building for a minute. 

I hummed, looking to Kiibo once again. “Hey… Happy early graduation.” I said casually. Yes, this is our graduation. Leaving this dull, hopeful academy into a world ripe for molding into Junko’s grand ideals. I didn’t expect a response, but he did say something, however simple it was. “Likewise.”

With that, we went in separate directions. I went deeper into the city to blend into the crowd, waiting for just the right moment to make a big, bold move. 

Patience is a virtue.


	30. Serves Up

I felt bad for the big guy. I could tell he just wanted to live in peace, but no one had time for that it seems like. He wanted nothing more than to behave like a gentleman and stay out of trouble. He wasn’t a fighter, but he was definitely strong. No, maybe it’s safe to say he is a fighter now. We’ve gotten into enough tussles for that title. What's lucky for us is that there aren't many people out there who want to challenge someone as intimidating-looking as Gonta. Not to say there aren't, but it's not that likely for us to come across one of them. 

We wandered cities for a while, but those turned out to be much more dangerous to be in than its worth. In the interest of safety, we decided to find a place in the woods and settle down there. I’m not upset about living in the woods, to be honest. Gonta knew how to make it comfortable enough to exist comfortably. However, there was always the stray animal that would come in for the purpose of killing us, which always led to one of us fighting it off. I won’t say one or two wasn’t unintentionally killed because it happened.

Where we lived was in a giant rabbit hole in the ground under a tree with a large number of roots that help camouflage us and protect us from the weather. It was warm enough, and it wasn’t too dry. It never rained dirt or anything on us, and it was even big enough for Gonta to stand comfortably. 

I still don’t totally understand why he lets a killer like me live in such close proximity to him. Wasn’t he worried I’d hurt him? Actually, he was too gentle to even think such things. Either way, I wasn’t going to do anything to him. We’ve gone through so much together, turning on him would be cruel of me. I may have done many bad things, but the fact of the matter is, I won't harm a hair on his head. We've got trust in each other, and with that, we've been able to survive for this long.

At the moment, I was alone. Gonta went out to find some food since he was better at reaching higher plants. He was mostly into climbing up trees to find fruit and stuff like that. There wasn't many that were alive still there. We had meat, but not all the time. I didn’t like killing animals, and neither did he. We only had meat when we unintentionally killed an intruder. When that happened we had some for a little while whenever we were comfortable enough to cut some off. 

I flipped my racquet in my hand, staring at it thoughtfully. I always held onto it when Gonta left so I could defend myself easily should something unfriendly come in. To be honest, there wasn’t much of a reason to worry because like I said our hideout wasn’t the easiest thing to find.

Oh, I guess you want a story or something right? You want to hear about what made everything turn out this way, don't you? To be quite honest, I didn't see any of the juicy details you want so badly. Actually, I didn't see much of interest if you really want to probe my memories like this. Really, anyone else would have been better to ask. Why don't you go ask them? You should know by now it's dangerous to start asking a killer like me so many questions. 

You're still here?

If there's no other choice, fine. Be prepared to be bored out of your mind.


	31. Tennis Loner

What use is there for me to be here? I don’t know how they did it, but somehow because of my former tennis glory days Hope’s Peak pulled some strings to give me a second chance at living to my so-called “twilight years”. I don’t get why. I don’t do tennis anymore, I left it behind a long time ago. There’s nothing left for me in this world. So why bother to put me into this school and pretend there was something for me to work towards? It's a waste of resources if you ask me.

Whatever, I guess I’ll make use of the chance I have now. Not that anything spectacular will come out of it, but if these people went through all the effort of giving me another chance to live I’ll humor them at least a little while. I wonder how long until they realize they made a mistake saving someone who gave up on their talent.

I made my way to class anyway. I still had to go whether I thought there was a point or not. I walked to the assigned class in silence. My gaze was trained straight ahead, not acknowledging anyone else around. They shouldn’t approach a killer like me anyway. They shouldn’t even consider it. Even if they were in that Reserve Course, they should be smart enough to think about at least that much. However, there is the off chance that someone doesn't know about my past, but I'd set them straight if the need arises.

Upon making it to the classroom, I took a seat by the window. I believed at the time that that would be the most effective way to avoid contact with my classmates. If I stare out the window, they won’t try to interact with me. I won’t have to get close to them that way. Once I get out of here I’m a goner anyway, so what’s the point? No use making people want to have me around if I'm destined to disappear again the second I graduate. No way would they let someone like me wander the streets without paying for my crimes. 

At some point, more people came in, but even I could tell it wasn’t close to everyone that was supposed to be here. I don’t really mind. Less trouble for me when it comes down to it. I’ve still got a ways to go if they’re this insistent on redeeming me. There's nothing to redeem. I'm just the shell of the Ryoma Hoshi who used to exist a long time ago. 

I merely responded in mild acknowledgment when the teacher called my name and former talent for attendance. I wasn’t interested in what the people around me had to say. All I had to do was provide proof I was present, right? That’s what I’ll do and nothing more. They can't re-arrest me for deciding not to be friends with these people. That would be stupid criteria anyway.

When I thought no one was looking I took a look at the others present. What a colorful group. In hindsight, that's what would be expected of a group of Ultimates. Two others seemed to have the same idea as me, a girl with long pigtails and the large male in the back. When I looked at the male I got the feeling he was angry. I couldn’t help but wonder why that was so. Nothing too important happened that could irritate a guy.

We met eyes for a moment and he smiled. Okay, so he wasn’t angry after all. That’s just the way his face looks. That was a mistake on my part. I turned back to the window without a second thought, not wanting to bother investigating him or his face any further. It was his business, not mine.

Once it was time, I was one of the first out of the class. I didn’t need or want to wait for anyone else. They should know better than to approach a killer like me. They were Ultimates after all, they should be pretty smart. Or at least have a shred of common sense. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the giant looking like he wanted to say something as I passed. 

Why bother?


End file.
